Those Stories Told Around Campfires
by dont blink or u might miss me
Summary: There was a group of men in a time long past. These men were not told in stories of great honour or impossible feats. These men were told in legends.


"You're all dead men!" a burly man shouted through the noise of the pub.

This was the first time someone had out right said it and somehow it seemed appropriate that this man said it first. He was massive, shoulders like an ox, red hair that tumbled around his shoulders and an attractive face with big blue eyes. He had bulging muscles everywhere and was known for never losing a fight. His name was Black Bundi. He was also known for hating Skulduggery Pleasant with a passion.

"And when you don't come back, maybe I'll take that pretty wife of yours" Bundi continues in a snarl as he leaned over the table that a group of men sat at.

As Black finished, there was silence through the whole room. Not a cough was coughed nor a sneeze sneezed. No drink was slurped or even raised. No noise at all.

Until one man, fairly drunk and a gambler picked out a single gold coin and began to pass it to his friend, knowing he had lost the bet. But his slow and drunken fingers dropped the coin.

It seemed to happen in slow motion; the whole pubs attention was on this shining, gold coin as it tumbled through the air falling closer and closer to the hard, wooden floor.

As it fell, it turned over and over, light glinting off its surface. Until finally, one edge smacked into the wood with a light clunk and jumped back into the air and began to turn again.

And right as it made its first noise, the clunk beginning to ring throughout the silent pub, a chair was pushed back violently and its owner stood up. He had been sitting right in front of Black, and had actually been the man Black had insulted. Before the coin had finished falling or even began its upward path, the man's black leathered fist was flying towards Black's distracted eye.

The coin now had begun its upward path, and the man had now punched Black four times and smacked an elbow into his ear. Black hasn't even realised what was happening yet.

Right hook. Left swing. Upper cut. Palm to nose. Elbow to left cheek bone.

The coin had started spinning now, slowly coming back down to the floor as it spun again.

Knee to groin. Right fist to stomach. Knee to face.

The coin hit the ground for the second time, back flipping over and coming to an almost stand still on its edge before it rolled forwards and spun in a circle and coming to a rest, tails down.

In that time, Black had flown into the bar behind him. The man had approached and pummelled his body with fists, elbows and knees as Black desperately tried to shield himself from the fast attack.

Then it stopped. Black moved his hands from his face and saw the man's forehead coming down on his before he was out cold.

Black slumped against the bar, head hung as he slid towards the floor.

The man flicked up the coin with one finely tailored dress shoe as he walked past -sending it high over his head-, picking up his black hat as he went. He fastened his hat over his hair and straightened his pin-striped suit as he walked, hand darting out to catch the gold coin as it fell back towards the floor. As he reached the door, he stopped as if only just now realising the room was still silent. He turned; facing the table he had just walked from, where a group of men sat nursing drinks.

"Are you coming?" he asked, his head tilted slightly to the side

None of the men answered, but they all stood and drank the last of their drinks before making their way towards the door. As they exited the occupants of the pub rushed to the windows to see the men leave into the darkness.

They were stony faced and straight-backed, not speaking a word as they turned a corner of a building and where lost from sight.

The men left the windows when they couldn't see the famous 'dead men' anymore. None of them bothered to follow them of see if they could hear any sort of conversation. Therefore none of them heard the quiet laughter.

**REQUESTS! I love taking them so let me know if you have anything in particular you want to happen in this story.**

**I love writing a story behind the little things the Dead Men say in the Skulduggery Pleasant series, so just give me a quote and I will try my best to write a good story. **

**Have fun and leave a review if you pick up any mistakes**

**-don't blink or you might miss me**


End file.
